The historic Indooroopilly Railway Bridge will have new lease on life, with works underway for the landmark to be refurbished and painted for the first time in 20 years.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said a new lick of paint would have the iconic bridge looking good as new.
“Keeping our assets in ship shape is key to a safe, efficient and reliable railway, which is something we're proud to do here in Queensland," Minister Bailey said.
“The Indooroopilly Railway Bridge is sandwiched between the Walter Taylor Bridge and historic Albert Bridge across the Brisbane River at Indooroopilly, connecting westside suburbs.
“Crews will soon mobilise to clean, sandblast and repaint the steel bridge structure, which is over 65 years old.
“Spanning 208 metres, this bridge was a feat of engineering at the time – quadrupling capacity on the Ipswich line and allowing heavier loads to cross the river.
“The Northern span of the bridge was pushed into place using a couple of dozers while the end of the span was supported on an old ship in a similar method to the construction of the Albert Bridge 60 years earlier.
“This is an exciting piece of asset renewal that will extend the life of the recognisable Indooroopilly icon for years to come."
Minister Bailey said new maintenance walkways and handrails would also be added.
“The bridge is an important link for both customers and freight services so it's maintenance is a high priority," he said.
“We'll also add composite transoms, which are similar to sleepers supporting the track, will replace the existing timber transoms for added stability."
During a closure on 5 and 6 November 2022, the first stage of the track level hoarding and safety barriers were installed on the bridge along the railway tracks and paint samples were taken in preparation for the painting works. A Drone LiDAR Survey was also undertaken to assist with the design activities.
Work will continue throughout next year during intermittent track closures with minimal disruptions to customers.
The project is expected to be completed in 2025.